Firefighters rescued an elderly man from his burning Brooklyn apartment Wednesday evening after he became trapped behind his door, fire officials said.
Fire officials credited members of Ladder 156, backed by Engine 276 with saving the elderly man who couldn’t open door in the smoke-filled second-floor apartment of 1555 East 19th Street.
The fire broke out shortly before 7 p.m. on Aug. 12 in apartment 2H, neighbors calling the police when they smelled smoke coming from down the hall. A resident of the floor tried to open the heavy steel door when he heard the man screaming for help, but saying he couldn’t open the door himself.
Firefighters from Ladder 156 were told by the resident that the elderly man was trapped in the apartment, so they immediately forced the steel door open.
“As soon as we opened the door, we could see his legs and we pulled him out,” said one firefighter from Ladder 156. “We dragged him down the hall and he was limp.”
Firefighters carried the still unconscious man to the street where other firefighters gave him oxygen. At that point, he began to regain consciousness and EMS transported him to Staten Island University Hospital where he was expected to survive. Officials did not identify him.
The fire went to an all-hands, with nearly 50 firefighters working to knock down the fire, according to acting Chief Captain Justin Zorbo. He said it appeared that the fire began in the kitchen and he credited Ladder 156 firefighters for saving the elderly man.
Fire officials could not say what cause the fire at this time. Fire marshals will be investigating.
